The Birmingham-based publication is competing in Special Interest Magazines against the Harvard Business Review, the Hollywood Reporter, Inc. and Texas Monthly. Mental Floss also earned a nomination in 2013 in the same category; Outside won that year.

Magazines in Birmingham have been finalists over the years, but none have taken home the Ellie.

Mental Floss publishes nine times a year offering a mix of facts and trivia with a humorous slant.

The Alabama Pro chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists will play host for Ethics Poker next week.

Guests will learn to play Texas Hold ’Em for fun, using special decks that highlight the society’s Code of Ethics. Discussion topics include the code and how to improve it to meet the challenges of contemporary journalism.

Ethics Poker takes place at 7 p.m. Dec. 9 at the Desert Island Supply Co., 5500 First Ave. N., Woodlawn district in Birmingham [map]. Organizers expect the event to run 2 hours.

The free event will include refreshments, but advance registration is required.

For more information or to register, email Chris Roberts at croberts@ua.edu.

In perusing the list of state blogs on al.com recently, I noticed a curious omission. This site, Media of Birmingham, was no longer on the list after having been there for years.

I asked by email for it to be reinstated, and the response from an al.com employee was that this site was “heavily anti-Advance” and that “the editors didn’t feel that it was a good fit.” (Advance Publications owns al.com.)

No such guidelines are listed on the al.com page.

I have asked for the names of said editors.

Checking through the sites (which still include my other blogs), I see these are approved for inclusion:

Blogs that haven’t been updated in 12 months or more (including those hosted on al.com)? OK.

I just chased this down to see what the problem was. I assumed it had been added already.

Apparently, there was concern that the MOB blog was too heavily anti-Advance. The blog list is subject to the discretion of the editors and they didn’t feel that it was a good fit. Your other blogs, of course, were fine.

Let me know if you have any other questions.

Thanks,
—–
[job title]
Alabama Media Group

Rejection email from al.com (click to enlarge)

I’ll continue to include links to the Birmingham News and al.com on the sidebar.

Update Oct. 15: The unnamed al.com staffer referred me to Julie McKinney, the statewide community engagement specialist. I asked via email about who made the decision and what the reasoning was. She replied:

“I think [an al.com executive] and you exchanged messages, and any confusion is cleared up. Your blog is listed again. If you hear of anyone else removed who thinks they should be back, send them my way. It’s a constant evolution, and I try to stay on top of it.”

I invited her again to answer my questions, but have not received a response.

When I invited the al.com executive to respond in the comments, she declined because she “[didn’t] want to throw [her] staffers under the bus.”

Owner Advance Publications turned the Birmingham News and its website al.com into two new companies, Alabama Media Group and Advance Central Services Alabama. It has followed through with similar plans in many of its other markets across the country.

One year ago today, the Birmingham News ceased daily publication after 124 years and began a thrice-weekly schedule. That same day saw similar transformations in Huntsville, Mobile and New Orleans, which has since gone back to publishing 6 days a week in two separate publications.

Circulation has dropped year to year. Site traffic has risen. Both companies have changed leadership.

Birmingham has seen one of its most tumultuous years in its media landscape. The last 365 days have brought layoffs, departures, closings and a few victories among local outlets.

It was 1 year ago today that the New York Times scooped New Orleans’ venerable Times-Picayune on its own impending upheaval: layoffs, a drop to publishing three times a week and the formation of two new companies.

The following day (May 24), owner Advance Publications announced hurriedly what Times-Picayune staffers had already learned online. In addition, the New Jersey-based chain rolled out a similar Alabama-wide strategy for the Birmingham News, the Huntsville Times and the Press-Register of Mobile.

The Young Women’s Empowerment Conference provides
teens with a free opportunity to meet and learn
from community leaders.

Media of Birmingham is pleased to award its remaining funds to the Young Women’s Empowerment Conference. This Birmingham-based nonprofit organization will receive a one-time gift of $797.30.

In looking for a local group that serves media professionals, Young Women’s Empowerment Conference stood out easily among applicants. Executive director Chianti Cleggett founded the organization in 2008.

Conference marketing director Jessica Vance nominated her group. She said the mission is “to empower Birmingham-area girls to believe that their futures hold big things.”

The free event features Birmingham natives talking about overcoming great obstacles, starting their own businesses, financial knowledge and more. Those speakers include a professional working in journalism, advertising, marketing, public relations or new media.

She added that the organization holds monthly meetings for its teen ambassadors board.

The gift will help the Young Women’s Empowerment Conference continue to bring media leaders to their audience. The fourth annual edition takes place March 30.

Media of Birmingham will no longer be an active networking organization. The board of directors, which started in July 2010, voted to disband on Aug. 7 and to turn organizational control and assets back to me, Wade Kwon.

I thank board president Sally Reilly and the other directors for their service during the past 2 years. Their efforts have continued the group’s outreach and training among Birmingham-area media professionals. In addition, they have raised $883.94 through ticket sales to events.

As you may recall, I formed the board in 2010 to take responsibility for the organization. The duties had become too time consuming for myself and another volunteer. This was my last-ditch effort to keep the group going and to create a sustainable model.

Alas, even the board was unable to continue after 2 years. If you’ve ever served as a board member, a nonprofit volunteer or staff member, you’ll know that it can be difficult to find capable, passionate advocates who are not paid (or paid very little). Without active leadership, no organization can hope to grow or even maintain viability.

Finances

The money will remain frozen in a bank account until Dec. 31, in case any vendors have outstanding invoices. Former board president Sally Reilly will help monitor the bank account until it is closed in 2013.

To renew the domain and domain mapping for the next 12 months, I spent $20.20 this week, as I have done in the past 2 years.

If you believe Media of Birmingham owes you money for past services, please contact me by Dec. 14.

On Jan. 2, the money will be allocated as follows:

1. Approximately $80.80 for domain and domain mapping through 2017.

2. The remaining $800 (minus any bank service charges) to be donated to a Birmingham-area 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. If your organization serves media professionals — journalism, advertising, marketing, public relations, new media — and is interested in receiving this one-time gift, please fill out this form by Dec. 14.

Channels

On Oct. 31, the Media of Birmingham email list, Facebook group and LinkedIn group will be closed. These channels require trained volunteers for upkeep and, by my assessment, have not been tended to in a long time.

I sent a note today to each of these groups.

(I still have to sort through some of the leftover MOB email. You haven’t lived till you’ve sorted through 2,000 pieces of email, trying to guess which, if any, have been answered.)

Website

The good news is that this site, MediaofBirmingham.com, will remain up and running for at least the next 5 years. And likely forever, or as long as we have websites, as the cost is relatively small.

I will continue to post reports about the ever-changing landscape of Birmingham media, as time permits. Our colleagues and neighbors have shown a continued interest in news about our various industries, companies and outlets.

the spawning of boutique agencies, independent professionals and digital specialists; and

the birth and death of groups for media types.

Never has the need been greater for veterans and greenhorns to connect, not just online but in person. To network, to learn, to comfort, to laugh.

I wish our fellow Birmingham groups — those that have been around and those yet to be — as much success as we have seen this past decade. I’m proud of having been part of such a robust organization, and look forward to continuing to serve you through my occasional reporting and writing on this site.

Thank you for being a part of the MOB.

Wade Kwon is a co-founder of Media of Birmingham and a Birmingham journalist for 25 years.

•

Please feel free to ask questions in the comments below or using our contact form.

Alternative newspaper Weld for Birmingham added Nick Patterson, left, to the masthead on its latest issue Thursday. And weldbham.com published his first stories for the site this week.

Both Patterson and publisher Mark Kelly declined to comment on the hire until after the organization’s planned media release sometime this week.

Patterson said by email:

“You will still have to speak to Mark. After you clear it with him, I’ll be glad to talk to you.”

Kelly said in an email:

“We plan to issue a statement within the next several days on Nick’s hiring and a few other recent and upcoming developments.”

In a follow-up email, Kelly wrote:

“[Patterson] does not need my permission to speak to anyone. However, as both the publisher and the person with responsibility for Weld’s external communications, I would be remiss in treating you differently than other media outlets by providing you, or allowing to be provided to you, any exclusive information prior to its planned general release — at least in the case of personnel matters and other internally generated news about our company which rightly should come first from us.

“We are tremendously pleased and excited about Nick’s association with Weld. But, as it is of a piece with several other moves we have implemented, are in the process of implementing, or plan to implement in the near future, it is our intention to address all of this news in a unified manner, in accordance with a timetable we have established, and in a way that is fair to all media outlets involved.”

Patterson spent the last 2 years working as a freelance media professional and communications director at the Birmingham Museum of Art. He worked for 10 years at Birmingham-based lifestyle magazine Southern Living as an associate editor.

Prior to that, he also had extended tenures at the University of Alabama at Birmingham as a media relations specialist and the Birmingham Post-Herald as reporter and columnist.

Note: The author worked with Patterson at the Birmingham Post-Herald and at Southern Living. In order to sidestep the inevitable media onslaught about this new hire, we have decided to publish a story before the media release.

Weld had announced Brock and Whitmire’s departures and Lewellyn’s promotion in print, on its site and via social media, but has, to date, remained relatively low-key about Patterson’s hire.

Tipsters alerted us in August about Patterson taking the editor’s job at Weld, but when asked to comment then, he declined and referred all queries to Kelly.

Patterson isn’t the first Post-Herald reporter to take on such a role. Darin Powell left the daily newspaper in 1999 to become editor of alternative newspaper Birmingham Weekly, working with Brock and Whitmire during his 3 years there.

The weirdness continued Friday when Kyle Whitmire, new media editor and co-owner of Weld for Birmingham, accepted a job offer with Alabama Media Group, one of two new companies succeeding the Birmingham News and al.com.

Whitmire’s exit is the second major departure from the startup site and publication in the last 2 months. Editor and co-owner Glenny Brock left in May.

Reached by phone, Whitmire would not comment on the matter, out of deference to his future employer. Instead, he issued this statement: “I’m incredibly grateful for the comments I’ve seen online and support I’ve gotten. I’m looking forward to working for the new company.”

He starts Aug. 20 as a reporter covering local government and politics.

“Over the past several weeks, substantial differences arose between our management team and Kyle. Those differences were related to our plans for the immediate and future direction and priorities of Weld for Birmingham and its online and print publications. They also involved issues related to Kyle’s current and past job performance and fulfillment of his duties as a shareholder in our company. It seems clear that all of that factored into his decision to accept the position he has been offered with our competitor.

“Regarding the issues that contributed to Kyle’s decision, I will not provide specifics, as they involve proprietary information about our company’s operations. We have been aware for a few weeks that Kyle was in discussions with Alabama Media Group, though he did not see fit to share that information with us until yesterday (Thursday), when he told us that he had received and intended to accept a job offer.”

And Whitmire and Kelly have been friends as well for around a decade. Like Whitmire, Kelly once worked as a reporter for a local alternative newspaper, Black and White, covering City Hall (later working there as spokesperson for Mayor Bernard Kincaid).

Brock, Kelly and Whitmire had been working on the blueprint for Weld since 2009. After securing investor funding, the three plus Heather Milam launched the new media outlet in 2011: the site in May and the weekly alternative newspaper in September.

Editor Brock left after a year. Whitmire had been in talks with Advance-owned Alabama Media Group for several weeks and discussed his potential move with Brock.

Whitmire had written about Advance’s Birmingham News and al.com for years for the Weekly and for Weld. From June 5:

“What’s clear to me is that the key to having a good newspaper and maintaining a good audience is knowing when to defy readers’ expectations and when to live up to them. Historically, the (Birmingham) News has done a poor job of doing either.

“The News spent decades building a bad reputation for itself. It defended segregation and was not willing to hold up a mirror to the city it covered. Slowly it moved to the right side of history, but when it did, it did so with reporting that was stripped of any voice or editorial latitude.”

On Thursday afternoon, at a meeting with partners Milam and Kelly along with another individual at the Weld office downtown, Whitmire announced his intention to leave for Alabama Media Group. On Friday, he turned in his key and his equipment to Kelly — and the two have not communicated with each other since.

Digital divorce

“Someone who has intimate knowledge of virtually all aspects of Weld’s operations and our strategy for immediate and long-term growth is now working for our direct competitor,” Kelly said by email. “Kyle (was) a shareholder in the company, which entails certain obligations and responsibilities that are not at play in the simple case of an employee entertaining the offer of another job.

“This, along with Kyle’s handling of his departure, is a serious matter, and we have some shareholders who are very much concerned about the manner in which it transpired. Thus, the admittedly strong wording of the statement.

“As for my personal reaction, I am disappointed. I’m disappointed for us and in Kyle, for both the business reasons I’ve mentioned and for personal reasons you might imagine.”

Kelly would not go into detail on Whitmire’s ownership stake, job performance or shareholder duties, citing proprietary information about the privately held company.

“As with all comments — positive, negative or neutral — that appear on our site in response to any story or post, I value the time and effort taken by the commenter. As that relates to my statement on Kyle’s departure, whether I feel those who commented negatively are ‘accurate’ in their characterizations of the statement — or, in some cases, of me personally — is really irrelevant.

“The important thing is that I respect their right to express their opinions and, as is apparent, would do nothing to interfere with their freedom to do so on our website and our Facebook page.

“As for the statement itself, it is a statement of fact, and not to stand by it simply because some people react negatively to my choice of words would be an act of both intellectual prevarication and moral cowardice.”

Brock saw it differently, saying by email, “What I read in Friday’s statement was a lot of bitter hurt. I’m glad he spared me a public excoriation.”

At its seams

Since her departure as editor, managing editor Jesse Chambers has filled in as interim editor. (Like Brock and Whitmire, he too worked in editorial at the Weekly before leaving in 2011.)

An anonymous tipster said that Chambers would be following Brock and Whitmire out the door. When asked if he had given notice to Weld, Chambers said by email, “I will remain as interim editor until a new editor is hired. I will have no further comment on this matter. Any further queries should be directed to Weld publisher Mark Kelly.”

Kelly praised Chambers for “doing an exceptional job of filling the editor’s role” and said that Weld plans to conduct a formal interview process for the position over the next few weeks.

The al.com front page on the morning of July 20, with the
version on the right showing the placement of the
Aurora shooting spree stories.(Click to enlarge each version.)

The challenge of news sites is to present important and interesting headlines so readers can find them quickly. Typically, the most important stories can be found at the top.

On Friday, the day of the shooting spree at a movie theater in Aurora, Colo., was one of many stories featured in the new al.com stream format. The big stories from Alabama included a bomb threat at a Cahaba Heights drugstore (including arrests) and the state board of education filing a lawsuit against the Birmingham school board.

Certainly the tragedy in Colorado that left 12 dead and more than 50 wounded grabbed media and public attention. The broadcast networks based their evening newscasts and hastily scheduled prime-time specials from Aurora.

The al.com front page has several ways to highlight stories: a banner across the top, a “Don’t Miss” flag (used for a story on an imprisoned former Jefferson County commissioner) and a top right box (used for Tuesday’s Tuscaloosa shooting spree).

The Aurora-related headlines did not have any indicators to help them stand out, as shown above, an odd choice given the clear reader interest (note the 192 comments for one version). One is near the top, just below a link to a recipe for Kalua Pork, while the other is just below an ad block.

The al.com front page on the evening of July 20, with the
version on the right showing the placement of the
Aurora shooting spree stories.(Click to enlarge each version.)

By that evening, a story on the shooting suspect can be found several screens down just below the ad block, as shown above.

If clicks to al.com pages are important in the new Alabama Media Group model (as they were in the previous template), why is the arguably most important story of the day so hard to find?

Good design gives readers a clear path to story hierarchy, through use of color, placement, size, even bold fonts. But in the river of headlines on al.com, it’s more challenging to locate the ones they want to see and click.

Welcome

Welcome to Media of Birmingham, a news and information site about journalism, advertising, public relations, new media and marketing based in Birmingham, Ala. The site went online in 2006, and the group behind it was founded in 2003.